Surgical sterilizing containers of the kind mentioned at the outset are known, in which surgical instruments can be held for sterilization. During the sterilization process, fluid, in particular, condensate forms in a container interior defined by the sterilizing container. The condensate can be evaporated, for example, during a drying phase following the sterilization process. The steam can exit from the container interior via a through-opening which is formed on the sterilizing container and is openable and closable by the outlet valve.
As condensate usually collects on the bottom of the sterilizing container, sterilizing containers have been developed in which the through-opening is formed in the bottom and the outlet valve can open and close the through-opening in the bottom. This serves to drain the condensate which has collected on the bottom from the sterilizing container to the outside. The draining of condensate, in particular, when a pressure-actuatable outlet valve is used, does, however, have the great inherent disadvantage that drained condensate exits from the sterilizing container in a gush. Where sterilizing containers are stacked one on top of the other, the condensate can flow from the higher sterilizing container over the lid of the sterilizing container below it. This results in undesired cooling of the lower sterilizing container and in undesired subsequent formation of condensate in its container interior, which has to be additionally evaporated or drained. The through-opening in the bottom also proves to be particularly disadvantageous because the sterilizing container is inadequately sealed if the outlet valve is faulty or damaged. This may lead to unsatisfactory sterilization results and facilitate penetration of germs into the container interior. Especially when the through-opening is arranged in and the outlet valve on the bottom, there is a high risk that unevenesses of a set-down surface for the sterilizing container or objects placed on the set-down surface will act from below on the outlet valve and result in damage thereto or failure thereof. An uneven set-down surface or objects on the set-down surface may also cause the valve body to be lifted off from the valve seat of the outlet valve and the through-opening to be opened, and so even if the outlet valve is as such intact, there is a great risk of germs penetrating into the container interior. A further disadvantage is that owing to the through-opening being arranged in the bottom, it is difficult for hospital staff normally handling the sterilizing container to recognize failure of or damage to the outlet valve.
A sterilizing container of the kind described hereinabove with a through-opening in the bottom and an outlet valve arranged on the bottom is described, for example, in EP 1 035 873 B1.
“Set-down surface” is a surface on which the sterilizing container can be positioned. “Set-down plane” is a contact plane which is defined by the sterilizing container and in which the sterilizing container contacts the set-down surface. The horizontally aligned set-down surface, as is usually the case, will, when the sterilizing container is used in accordance with the specifications in an operating position, result in a horizontal alignment of the set-down or contact plane. Position and orientation details such as, for example, “at the top”, “at the bottom” refer, in this case, to an operating position of the sterilizing container in which it is positioned in accordance with the specifications on a set-down surface.
An object underlying the present invention is to provide a surgical sterilizing container of the kind mentioned at the outset, from which it is possible to remove fluid which has formed in the container interior while reducing the risk of germs penetrating into the container interior.